[normhead]

The Pentax k5-II and the Fuji XT1 are from the same era and at that time Fuji's lenses were much faster and silent than what Pentax had at the same price tag.

Yet for IQ the Fuji has never been rated anywhere near a Pentax, since the K-5, which at one time was the #5 and the highest rated APS-c camera out of everything according to DxO. As well during that time period, there was at least one site that did AF accuracy tests, where Pentax was better than anything else in it's class. MY guess would be, if you focus with faster lenses you get faster AF, no matter what system you use. Pentax 2.8 and 1.8 glass was expensive and still is, but the film era lenses were light and portable. That was Pentax's niche. I still don't know of another company with three lenses like the 31, 43 and 77 ltds in terms of quality for size and weight, with the 31 holding it's own against even the Sigma monster art lenses all these years later. It basically comes down to if you don't understand those lenses, you didn't understand Pentax.

[Francisco Carneiro]

Hello!


I have a new question :

Now that I have lots of M42 Takumars, can anyone tell me what would be the best digital pentax bodies for these lenses?
It seems that those models with a D in the end, like the K10D, K00D and K110D have a high magnification in the viewfinder, when in focus.
Also, the focus is correct "by highlighting the center point in red and the viewfinder's green polygon".


This is not a huge advantage today, because I have this kind of feature when using my Fuji bodies with all vintage manual lenses, but it can be interesting
with pentax bodies. Some Pentax bodies may allowd for some extra features with takumars, that are related to AF. Of course, it would be preferable if the body is stabilized. Note, I am looking for an used model, not expensive, just to start. For now I am not very concerned with fancy features and fast AF, etc. Just the best compatibility between Takys and Pentax - stabilized. I wonder what would be the behavior of the KR with the takys.



One of the things I like a lot is the simple fact that Pentax designed a very thin adapter for the M42 lens mount. All my takumars have M42 mount.
I hope that a Pentax body with a M42 Takumar has the same behavior of a Takumar K mount with a Pentax body...



I am sure that many members know what am I talking about.
This could be a good specific reason to begin an adventure with pentax. Finally!



Can someone help? I'd be very grateful. I must say that I learned a lot about Pentax, in this threat, and I finally decided to buy a P body, now that I have so many lenses, most of them Taks. I have one good specific reason, now.



Thank you!

[Francisco Carneiro]

Pentax K-S1 seems to be the best value for money in the market.

[grispie]

I wonder what would be the behavior of the KR with the takys.

It will do fine ;-)
as any pentax body will do with takys

[MarkJerling]

Now that I have lots of M42 Takumars, can anyone tell me what would be the best digital pentax bodies for these lenses?
It seems that those models with a D in the end, like the K10D, K100D and K110D have a high magnification in the viewfinder, when in focus.

There's no significance to the "D" in the model name, other than possibly meaning 'digital'. Any Pentax K-mount camera can be used with M42 lenses providing you use the correct adapter. The flush k-mount to M42 adapter allows focusing your M42 lenses to infinity.

One of the things I like a lot is the simple fact that Pentax designed a very thin adapter for the M42 lens mount. All my takumars have M42 mount.
I hope that a Pentax body with a M42 Takumar has the same behavior of a Takumar K mount with a Pentax body...

Yes, provided you use the "thin" adapter, you can focus to infinity. In terms of used cameras, any Pentax DSLR will do, the newer the better, of course, as the newer cameras take higher resolution images. K7 and K5 cameras can be obtained cheaply but if your budget allows a K3 or newer camera, then that would be my choice. Likewise, there's no reason you can't use a K30, K50 or K70, or a K10D or a K100D.

[Francisco Carneiro]

Thank you, grispie and MarkJerling!

Yes, K3 would be a nice camera, but I'll be happy with the KS1, for a start.

K3 is a possible upgrade, when more funds will be available, (soon), for photo gear.

As many members know in this threat, I bought an Oly EM5 and a few Oly lenses. Well, I am selling all Olympus stuff.
That is good gear, but finally, I can see for my experience that Fuji is much better - at least for me.
Also, all those complicated menus from Olympus are a PITA for me. Images from Fuji have that special thing that Fuji users like and Olys make very nice shots but they lack that extra thing, no charm.

At first, I was impressed with the fancy Oly body and it's fast focus and touchscreen.
In the end, even with the old Fuji XM1, much more "primitive", I can have better focus. It has only what matters in the menus and when you really know how to use it, it beats Oly. Images are better. Macro is better. I thought that not having stabilization would be an handicap for manual lenses, but using the ability of Fuji to work with low light, I can compensate it easily. It could be a problem with big zooms, but even with 135mm in manual focus, the results are good.

Ok, with Stab 5 axis you can go down in shutter, but who cares? With Fuji I have a good margin, unless I want to use a 135mm in low light...
Aritmetics...


I keep Fuji, I really like it, will buy a XT2 or XT3 soon and begin my experience with Pentax.
No room for the K3 budget. I can get a KS1 with a zoom for 200 euros or a K3 nacked for 500 euros.

KS1 has a very good viewfinder and I will have a OVF experience;

KS1 has stabilization.
KSI has 20MP
KSI likes Takumar and other vintage lenses that I already have.
KS1 has many donwsides but makes beautiful images.
I like the design.

This threat was about "Fuji or Pentax?"
I will end uo having both.

So far : I keep Fuji, I begin with Pentax.

[Francisco Carneiro]

Does the KS1 make the "In-Camera Image Enhancements" or "Lens corrections" with manual lenses, Takys?
I suspect it doesn't, but I'd like to have a more secured information. Please! Thanks again.
THis feature can be seen HERE.

[grispie]

Does the KS1 make the "In-Camera Image Enhancements" or "Lens corrections" with manual lenses

the enhancements are irrespective of the used lens. highlights, shadows, noise...
lens corrections are only for modern lenses i assume. But you wouldn't really need this i think. distortion correction is probably the biggest lenscorrection one would want, but because of the focal lengths on your takys, you won't see much distortion..

ks1 seems to have a smaller grip.

[Jonathan Mac]

Takumars won't behave the same on a digital body as on an M42 film body as the camera has no way of stopping down the aperture at the moment the photo is taken. Metering will be manual, though some say that the green button metering (using the green button to measure the exposure necessary) is more accurate on newer Pentax bodies than on older ones. Personally, I always use manual metering with manual lenses and don't bother with the green button as it's too inaccurate. Pentax cameras struggle to get a good exposure much of the time with a fully automatic lens, never mind an old manual one.

What you really need to look for in a digital Pentax body is the best viewfinder possible so that you'll be able to focus as accurately as possible. The viewfinder on my K3 is much better than the one on my K200D, for example. I'm not sure if any of the newer cameras have a viewfinder better than that of the K3 (other than the FF models of course). Look for penta-prism, not penta-mirror, as they'll be brighter and probably bigger too.

The other thing is to make sure you use a genuine Pentax adaptor as the cheaper third-party ones can cause get stuck on the camera leaving it as permanently M42 or requiring dis-assembly to get the adaptor off.

[surfar]

Pentax K-S1 seems to be the best value for money in the market.

Well maybe?....for a little more the KS-2 is weathersealed so if you sell the Oly,you wont have protection when you need to shoot in some rain/dust/sandy conditions.

[Francisco Carneiro]

Takumars won't behave the same on a digital body as on an M42 film body as the camera has no way of stopping down the aperture at the moment the photo is taken. Metering will be manual, though some say that the green button metering (using the green button to measure the exposure necessary) is more accurate on newer Pentax bodies than on older ones. Personally, I always use manual metering with manual lenses and don't bother with the green button as it's too inaccurate. Pentax cameras struggle to get a good exposure much of the time with a fully automatic lens, never mind an old manual one.

What you really need to look for in a digital Pentax body is the best viewfinder possible so that you'll be able to focus as accurately as possible. The viewfinder on my K3 is much better than the one on my K200D, for example. I'm not sure if any of the newer cameras have a viewfinder better than that of the K3 (other than the FF models of course). Look for penta-prism, not penta-mirror, as they'll be brighter and probably bigger too.

The other thing is to make sure you use a genuine Pentax adaptor as the cheaper third-party ones can cause get stuck on the camera leaving it as permanently M42 or requiring dis-assembly to get the adaptor off.

Yes yes, I will use a genuine adaptor, they are great, from pentax. Very thin too. I like it, because it is like I had no adaptor.
Viewfinder is one of the most important features in a camera for me, specially for manual lenses.

The one from K-S1 is great, one of its markting arguments, I guess.

I think that - even if the KS1 was not loved by the public - the image quality is very good, even for today's parametres.

Add to that a good stab and good OVF and I'm ready to start.
I read that I will have a software for raw editing. This body has a good jpeg editing, but I know that with Pentax, raw will be clearly superior.
With Fuji I can forget raw, but not with Pentax. It will be new for me. May be I'll begin to raw with Fuji, too.

---------- Post added 01-30-19 at 04:04 AM ----------

Well maybe?....for a little more the KS-2 is weathersealed so if you sell the Oly,you wont have protection when you need to shoot in some rain/dust/sandy conditions.

WS..Hum... yes, you're right, but I had plans for XT2, selling Olys.
If I find a very good deal.
You know, the important is to start.
Knowing myself, this is my first camera, just to taste the Pentax world. Then I will consider a better one. K3 is the minimum, if I stay with pentax.
May be I'll find a cheapo K-S2. It is possible!

The good thing about not going to far is a good and solid evolution.

---------- Post added 01-30-19 at 04:14 AM ----------

I may have found a very very good deal!
I am waiting for an anwser. It seems to good to be true...
Pentax Ks-2+Da 18-55+50-200 (424 clics seulement)

Reserved to another person.

[surfar]

I may have found a very very good deal!

If the lenses are WR,then its a good place to start.

---------- Post added 01-31-19 at 07:11 AM ----------

I had plans for XT2, selling Olys.

The XT2 has some weathersealing,it probably falls short of the Pentax level.The Xh1 has a good sealing and the xt3 I believe to be better than the xt2.

[Francisco Carneiro]

If the lenses are WR,then its a good place to start.

---------- Post added 01-31-19 at 07:11 AM ----------



The XT2 has some weathersealing,it probably falls short of the Pentax level.The Xh1 has a good sealing and the xt3 I believe to be better than the xt2.

I don't believe. At this level, when you look to pictures of even much more expensive cameras, it is not inferior.

I can allways be wrong but I don't believe. The XH1 has nothing much to add when you have a XT2, unless stabilization and better video.
If video is not very important for you, there is no reason to something so much bigger... and more expensive.
To tell the truth, if I was only thinking about IQ and if I was more rational, I could stay with my XE1. IQ is very good, just not 24MP, but 16.


I think that Pentax images are very good and different from Fuji. That's why I want to give it a try.
Also, if I have a Fuji, I can go out with a pentax in a rainy day and use the stabilization with my manual lenses.
And above all, it gives me pleasure. If later I see that pentax is much better, I sell Fuji. No problemo.


XT3 is better, but how much better? Xt3 is better in some AF areas. Other than this, for me is negligible.

The price is not.

[surfar]

I don't believe. At this level, when you look to pictures of even much more expensive cameras, it is not inferior.
I can allways be wrong but I don't believe. The XH1 has nothing much to add when you have a XT2, unless stabilization and better video.
If video is not very important for you, there is no reason to something so much bigger... and more expensive.
To tell the truth, if I was only thinking about IQ and if I was more rational, I could stay with my XE1. IQ is very good, just not 24MP, but 16.
I think that Pentax images are very good and different from Fuji. That's why I want to give it a try.
Also, if I have a Fuji, I can go out with a pentax in a rainy day and use the stabilization with my manual lenses.
And above all, it gives me pleasure. If later I see that pentax is much better, I sell Fuji. No problemo.
XT3 is better, but how much better? Xt3 is better in some AF areas. Other than this, for me is negligible.
The price is not.

Sorry,you misunderstood.

The Pentax WR is superior to the XT2,Fuji have improved it on the XT3 and XH-1.

The XH-1 price is now down around a XT2 price(new)....used is still 200-400 higher.

The size and weight of XH-1 is very much like a Pentax Dslr.


Sorry to inform you but on a rainy day,your Pentax body and your vintage lenses will leak.The WR DA/DFA lenses are the only ones that give any protection from what can fall on or blow on your gear.

[Francisco Carneiro]

Sorry,you misunderstood.

The Pentax WR is superior to the XT2,Fuji have improved it on the XT3 and XH-1.

The XH-1 price is now down around a XT2 price(new)....used is still 200-400 higher.

The size and weight of XH-1 is very much like a Pentax Dslr.


Sorry to inform you but on a rainy day,your Pentax body and your vintage lenses will leak.The WR DA/DFA lenses are the only ones that give any protection from what can fall on or blow on your gear.

Ok, just a communication issue : what is, what do you mean by


Pentax WR?

So, how do you see the fact of having say, one XH1 and one Pentax like say, K3?

Does it make sense to you?
Do you think it would make more sense to have a pentax full frame and a fuji like XT3 or XH1?

May be a XT3 and a full frame Pent


Thanks

---------- Post added 01-31-19 at 12:28 AM ----------

I'm also asking it to you because I think you have Fuji and Pentax, don't you?